Saginaw businessman says he's staying in city after threatening to leave

A Saginaw businessman says he plans to keep his company in the community after receiving assurances from City Hall officials about his employees' safety.

Laurence S. Slovin, president of B&P Process Equipment, 1000 Hess, said for weeks city officials would not respond to his complaints about crime surrounding his East Side machine-making business. Then he said last week he discovered his best line of communication for the problem: City Manager Darnell Earley.

For a time, Slovin said he considered moving the company -- which he says has operated in Saginaw for more than 100 years -- to a new community. The business provides the city about $100,000 in annual property and income taxes combined, he said.

On Monday, Slovin told the City Council he isn't going anywhere as long as City Hall holds up to its end of assurances made during a sit-down meeting on Wednesday.

"The tone with the city now is very positive," he said. "We still need action. Assuming we move in that direction -- and I'm confident we will -- I'll be (happy)."

Slovin said in the spring, some of his employees witnessed juveniles rob a nearby occupied house when its residents weren't home. Workers called 911, but Slovin said police didn't arrive until 45 minutes later, too late to catch the criminals.

In a letter sent to Slovin after Wednesday's meeting, Earley stated police would investigate the details of the incident along with a shoot-out a few weeks ago between two men near the Hess facility. No one was injured in the shooting, Slovin said.

"... Depending upon the conversation between your staff and the 911 dispatch staff, both incidents could have been classed as non-threatening and would be given a lower priority response time," Earley's letter read. "In any event, we did agree that 45 minutes response time was unacceptable in most circumstances. The police chief will be investigating with 911 Central Dispatch the calls made on the two incidents to ascertain the facts of what actually happened."

Earley's letter also states City Hall could soon demolish several abandoned, blighted homes in the neighborhood.

"... There are properties that need to be demolished as they are only breeding decay and criminal activity, thus providing an unsavory environment in which your employees must work," the letter read.

Slovin said police on Thursday plan to visit his business to offer safety tips to his 80 employees.

He said he was upset until last week because City Hall officials did not return his phone calls.

Slovin spoke about his dissatisfaction at the Aug. 24 council meeting. Officials then told him the best person to call was the city manager directly.

"I feel bad now because somehow the Saginaw city telephone system doesn't work," he said. "I didn't mean to create the ruckus I did."